Am I alone in wishing the Mac Power Users show focused more on the Mac itself? As a listener for over a decade, I enjoy detailed discussions of products (hardware, software, workflows, tips, etc.).
Also, not unique to the Mac Power Users show, but it feels like a lot of the content is catering to other public content creators. Personally, I’m more interested in learning about a new Mac App or clever utility that forces me to re-evaluate and improve my day-to-day workflow.
I don’t mean to come across as critical - just hoping to raise a couple of points that have led me away from the show lately, and wondering if I’m alone in feeling this way.
MPU veteran here. I’ve listened to every episode and 100% agree with this. I posted something similar a while back and it didn’t go well… I’ve just accepted I won’t get that information from MPU.
If you want to learn about new apps, follow amerpie on his blog: https://amerpie.lol/
He is an absolute legend and the only person who is on par with me for trying out new apps.
I think that they do do that from time to time @vic
It’s worth recognising a few things:
While the show is called MacPowerUsers, it has a wider scope across the whole Apple ecosystems and sometimes beyond.
The Mac is a mature platform, and the number of new or revolutionary apps appearing for macOS is very low
@ismh86 and @MacSparky are in very settled workflows and are unlikely to adopt the new thing. I suspect that’s one of the many reasons they bring guests on.
You’re not wrong to raise your wish. Sometimes I don’t listen to an episode if the guest is heavily outside my interests. Some others on this forum don’t listen to the show but are a great part of the community.
I agree, but as a solution I am selective as to what I listen to.
If a show is focused on a guest who is a content creator I simply avoid listening to those episodes, as I know it won’t be relevant to my workflow. I’ll also skip parts of a show that focus on that topic. I’m sure many listeners are also bloggers and podcasters so they get plenty of value from those episodes.
I very rarely listen to MPU these days after tuning in from around the outset. Best ones tend to be when there’s a guest on as it adds a different/energised dynamic. Generally, the coy, “Gee, schucks. I’ve only gone and bought,” schtick, has really worn thin with me. It never ceases to amaze me how much stuff they both buy/consume.
I used to listen to quite a few tech podcasts from a variety of people. I quit about a year ago when it felt like most were touting a solution looking for a problem. The internet is flooded with podcasts and they all begin to sound the same to me. There just isn’t that much new going on (besides AI which I’m also tired of hearing about). I do enjoy reading and participating in this forum.
You are asking a question, there is nothing wrong with that.
I don’t know how long I’ve been listening to MPU. I remember at least one episode, early on, when Alex Lindsay was a guest. So I guess I started between 2011 and 2013.
Since then Apple has appeared to have lost interest in the Mac more than once, but our hosts keep coming up with topics relevant to Apple users. I’ve used Macs on and off for around 34 years and I couldn’t do that.
So I listen to the episodes that interest me, and skip the ones that don’t. And stay subscribed to MPU. YMMV
I personally like the variety of MPU. I also understand very much missing the centrality of the Mac, missing Katie, missing younger, more exploratory versions of ourselves, etc.
Ultimately, we’re all going to die and the odds are good that the last podcast we each listen to won’t be the perfect ending to our hobby.
I think this is definitely the best take here. I wouldn’t want the show to change, and I don’t think they would or even should do this, but it could probably use a re-brand. It’s really more Apple Power Users than Mac Power Users, and I think the show is ultimately better and has more broad appeal for it.
I think a big problem with the “content universe” is that you fall in love with a thing and then feel like you take a “completionist” approach to that thing. You can be a massive fan of a show and still only listen or watch the 20% of it that is interesting to you.
This used to aggravate me about a lot of the tech shows that I listen to, but then I came to the (perhaps obvious to others) realization that … This is their job. Product releases, and the purchasing and subsequent discussion of those products, is what they do professionally. If only we could all be so lucky!
Nothing wrong with having an opinion and you put it across really well!
Personally, I’ve loved MPU since the first time I used a Mac and I fully understand the difficulties in maintaining a balance and keeping things relevant as use cases for devices change. The sheer breadth of potentially relevant topics is so vast - and members/listeners requirements span it all, so finding a sweet spot is hard yet I find Stephen and David do a great job.
I find the Feedback episodes are the ones I look forward to most, I think they are a great addition to the schedule (although not so new now of course) and I still great value from the workflow episodes with guests. There’s always something there that makes me think.
I don’t listen to absolutely every episode as there is the odd one that I know won’t fit my use case - but that isn’t a bad thing and I know the hosts would fully expect that.
I agree with all your sensible points. What @MacSparky, @ismh86 and Katie before him do can’t be easy to come up with fresh content for this long a run.
I think this is a difficult subject.
I enjoyed the early episodes when I first discovered MPU (10 years ago?) as I was learning all the time. However, with something bounded like the Mac you can’t learn at the same rate forever and I now rarely listen to an episode.
I do think the feedback episodes are best, and I now find ATP a more interesting podcast to listen to, but that too could change in the future.
I think it is a bit like TV, you love the first series, enjoy the sequels, but eventually either tire of it or the programme comes to an end.
It must be very difficult to produce new content that is engaging every week. I think Relay have realised this elsewhere (eg Cortex where they have changed the format - although I am not a fan)
I’m not sure why Mac Power Users would necessarily dictate the need to be Mac Power Consumers, too. But I’m only on my 3rd Mac in 22 years, so I’m not really in the cohort that lusts after the new and shiny. As I say, I learnt a lot about the platform from MPU in the early days, but its appeal has waned for the reasons given.
